Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition

Working to improve the quality of life for individuals, families and communities affected by asthma.

PVAC is a coalition of health professionals and institutions, community groups and residents, public health organizations, municipal and state agencies, academic institutions, schools, day care, housing and environmental groups committed to improving asthma and environmental conditions that affect health in Western Mass.﻿

Advocacy

PVAC advocates on issues that relate to outdoor and indoor air quality and impact the lives of people and communities with asthma.

Housing- Sanitary Code

The Department of Public Health held a public hearing on proposed amendments to State Sanitary Code regulating Housing on October 4, 2017 in Northampton, MA. Proposed changes addressing asthma triggers include requiring mechanical ventilation for bathrooms to prevent moisture and mold as well as integrated pest management requirements for buildings with 4 or more units.

TOBACCO 21

The Springfield Public Health Council held a hearing on Oct 18th on raising the age for tobacco sales to 21 years old. Please join us to advocate for this important ordinance.

Raising the minimum legal sales age to 21 has been shown to reduce youth initiation of tobacco use, particularly in adolescents aged 15-17. Among adults who become daily smokers, 90 percent started before age 19 and almost 100 percent before age 26. For more information, please see links below:

Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) held a public hearing in Holyoke on Monday, August 7 on rule changes that would provide clean energy subsidies to thermal biomass technologies, such as wood boilers, under the State’s Alternate Energy Portfolio Standard (APS). Over 30 advocated against biomass, including PVAC Manager Sarita Hudson.

Palmer Renewable Energy won its appealto build a biomass incinerator in Springfield. The Springfield Public Health Council is considering a Site Assignment Hearing for the proposed Palmer Renewable Energy Biomass Plant. A hearing was held on January 16th and the Public Health Council requested further information at their February 17th meeting. No decision has been made.

PVAC and chair Dr. Matthew Sadof presented testimony against the plant at the hearing on January 16 and additional testimony was provided on February 2. Below is the testimony collected by PVAC:

PVAC is working with the Springfield Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management on developing an ordinance on Indoor Air Quality and Environmental Health in schools and municipal buildings﻿.